


Of Rooftops and Quiet Nights

by Just_here_for_a_laugh



Series: Barista and the Intern [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC - Fandom, DCU, DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Awkwardness, Boys In Love, Cute, First Date, Fluff, Flying, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Kon is also nervous but he's better at hiding it, M/M, No Angst, POV Tim Drake, Picnic, Romance, Rooftop picnic, Stargazing, Tim Drake-centric, Tim is anxious, Tim is nervous, Tim is under 21, Tim isn't sure if this is really a date, Tim overthinks things, Timkon, and therefore cannot buy wine, it works out anyway, por que no los dos, secret meeting, then comfortableness, this upsets him, visit to the Kent family farm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23515453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_here_for_a_laugh/pseuds/Just_here_for_a_laugh
Summary: Tim and Conner have a rooftop picnic, and Tim tries to figure out if this is all really happening. Conner is there to assure him that it most certainly is.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, TimKon - Relationship
Series: Barista and the Intern [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692001
Comments: 7
Kudos: 91





	Of Rooftops and Quiet Nights

Tim hoisted himself up over the ledge and onto the roof. He stood up, brushed the gravel off his knees, and put away his grappling hook. It wasn’t his most graceful ascent onto a Gotham rooftop but give him a break, he was holding a two litre of soda.

And he was nervous.

He awkwardly sat down on the rooftop and looked around. It was 6:45, fifteen minutes earlier than he was supposed to be there. He had thought that coming to scope out the location and analyze exactly what it was he would be getting into would help to calm him down and be more comfortable. Now, he wasn’t so sure it was helping. He looked at the two litre and sighed lightly. On the way over he had suddenly panicked as he wondered if he was supposed to bring anything to their picnic. Conner hadn’t mentioned it in his note at the coffee shop but maybe it was just supposed to be an understood rule of picnic etiquette. So, he had rushed into the nearest corner store and hastily bought something to bring with him just in case. It wasn’t exactly a bottle of wine but he hoped it would do. He knew that not only was he not old enough to buy alcohol he was nowhere near looking old enough to get away with using a fake ID, no matter how flawlessly he made it (he had tried). But this was Kon’s favorite soda and Tim knew that just as the two shared many other more warm and caring traits, Ma Kent had a passion against sugary sodas to rival Alfred’s. Hopefully the novelty of the experience would make up for the fact that soda was by no means a romantic gift for the ages. 

Romantic

That was another thing that had Tim’s head spinning. Did Conner really like him? Tim knew that they were close and that he himself certainly had more than a few feelings that lay outside of the bounds of friendship, but he had never expected them to be returned. And if it was true why had Kon never said anything? And what made him say it now? As far as he could tell nothing had changed; everything was status quo until his best friend walked right into his undercover operation and started flirting with him. And gosh, the flirting. Tim could barely think straight while Kon was in the shop. Every other thought that ran through his mind was to turn around and look at the boy, both out of concern and exasperation that he was sitting right in front of the mark Tim was supposed to be watching, and out of a shy giddy feeling that asked whether or not his crush was still looking at him. And sure enough, almost every time Tim did give in and chance a glance he was met with those strong bright eyes that so often crept into his dreams.

  
At first he had assumed that it had been an accident. The coffee shop was after all in Metropolis and with Conner’s internship at the Daily Planet it wasn’t impossible that he would wander into the coffee shop where Tim happened to be working. He assumed that Kon would ask someone, or even Tim himself later on, what was going on, find out about the job, and leave it alone. But then he had come right back in the next day. Kon had to know what was going on because he still wasn’t talking to Tim, so the undercover barista assumed that his friend was messing with him. It was wildly inappropriate to potentially compromise a mission and even potentially dangerous to do so, but that was Kon. Always right on the edge of disaster, grinning as he swayed.

  
It wasn’t until that afternoon when Tim had finally confronted him and Evan had pulled the note from his pocket that he had realized why his best friend was always sitting in the window of his coffee shop. Since then he had been unable to focus on anything else; he couldn’t sift through the myriad of emotions he was feeling. He was thrilled that the feelings he had might be requited, but he was terrified as well. This could still all be a joke. Tim didn’t think Conner was cruel enough to play with his heart like that, but if he didn’t know how Tim felt, and really he had no reason to know, and just wanted to prank Tim’s new coworkers who were so intent on setting the two of them up this would be a perfect way to do it. If that were the case Tim could hide his disappointment and play it off snickering about what a genius Kon was pranking his new friends and finding time to hang out all in one move. Or maybe Kon wouldn’t show up at all and he would never have to know that Tim had waited on this rooftop all night. Because he would, Tim realized, if that’s what it took.

  
On the other hand Conner could be totally serious. He could really be flirting with Tim and getting ready for a date, and that was just as terrifying as being let down. What if this changed everything? What if their dynamic changed in ways they didn’t anticipate and didn’t like. What if things didn’t work out? Tim did like Kon but first and foremost he loved him; was trying to see if a passing fancy could develop into romantic love worth losing the platonic love of his best friend? Could he? Would a breakup really ruin their friendship, and if it did would Kon ever really stop loving him? Tim didn’t think he could ever stop loving Kon.

  


  


Tim was still caught in the whirlpool of his own thoughts when he heard a faint whooshing sound and looked up to see Kon holding a picnic basket with a smile.

  
“You’re early.” He said with an easy grin as he set down the basket and Tim looked at his phone. He couldn’t believe that only a few minutes had gone by.

  
“Yeah,” he answered weakly, “I uh, just didn’t want to be late I guess.” Kon nodded as he took out the blanket and started to set it out. “Do you want help?” Tim asked, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly and looking anywhere but at his best friend.

  
“I’ve got it,” Kon shrugged, “but thanks. So, how was the rest of your shift?”

  
“Oh it was fine.” Tim replied, trying to act nonchalant. Truth be told he didn’t really remember most of his shift after Conner had left, he had been too worked up over the note. He told his friend about the one customer he did remember who had brought her dog in her purse and about how Evan and D’amy would not stop asking him questions about the mysterious guy by the window and the note and what was he going to wear on this date. Kon laughed so hard that he snorted and Tim couldn’t help but join in. Conner had the most contagious laugh, and privately Tim thought that it was one of the best sounds in the world. After they caught their breath Tim shifted nervously and once again avoided his friend’s eyes.

  
“So,” he started, “...is it?”

  
“Is it what?”

  
“A date?” Tim managed to get out. Kon shifted slightly as well. He tried to look sure of himself and level, but Tim could see that he too was a little bit nervous.

  
“Only if you want it to be.” Kon answered, looking intently at Tim and giving him little choice but to meet his eyes. Tim was frozen for a moment, face held in a slight gasp and eyes locked with Conner’s. Every fear and every hope ran through his mind faster than he knew they could, and then they all stopped. For once his mind was quiet and he just looked at Kon in front of him, not analyzing not cataloguing, just seeing. For once he just trusted.

“I do.”

Kon grinned at him and he couldn’t help but return the favor.

  
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

  
The two laughed in relief and started to set out the food. Conner had packed sandwiches, fruit, he’d even made a cheese ball, all the perfect picnic foods one could ask for. They started eating when Tim suddenly remembered something.

  
“Oh!” he said, getting up and walking over to where he had set the two litre of soda. In all his worry he’d lost track of it and hadn’t noticed it again in the dark of the night. He brought it over to the blanket and sat down handing it to Kon. The other boy gasped and looked up at Tim like he’d hung the moon.

  
“Dude!” He nearly shouted as he opened it and took a gulp, “You know me so well!” Tim laughed and took a swig himself as Conner handed him the bottle. He leaned back on one arm and smiled. Why had he been so worried he asked himself, this was Kon. Loud, excited, brash, funny, caring, perfect Kon. His best friend. The person who made him feel safest in the world, superpowers or not, and as it turned out, dating or not.

  
  


  
The two sat on their blanket and ate their picnic as they talked and laughed about everything and nothing just like they had done a million times before. Tim told Kon about the man who had come into the shop the other week in full Lord of the Rings style trekking gear, complete with a hood and sword. Kon told Tim about the goat that had taken the keys out of Pa Kent’s back pocket as he milked the cows and chewed the ring to bits. They went on like that for what seemed to Tim like hours, and eventually they laid down on the blanket. They kept talking but he noticed that Kon’s responses and comments had gotten fewer and farther between. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at the boy next to him.

  
“Kon? You good buddy?” He asked, wondering if he was getting tired.

  
“Yeah, yeah,” Kon assured him but his voice sounded tinged with concern. “I’m fine. It’s good.” Tim looked at him skeptically.

  
“You don’t sound all that fine.” He said, raising his eyebrow. Kon sighed.

  
“It’s just,” he started, “where are the stars?”

  
“Huh?” Tim asked.

  
“The stars.” Kon said, pointing up at the night sky. Tim laid back down to look up at where he was pointing. The sky was a deep grey black like it was every night in Gotham. The city lights reflected off the clouds that gave the city its trademark gloom and illuminated each detail of the overcast without doing much to brighten the darkness of the night itself. Tim shrugged. This is what his sky looked light in the night, on patrol, on the roof of the Manor, on the way back from some Wayne function. This was a Gotham night.

  
“I guess they’re behind the clouds.” Tim finally answered. “That’s where they always are, right? I mean they don’t go anywhere.” Kon still looked concerned.

  
“You mean they never come out? At all?” Tim thought for a moment and shook his head.

  
“Not really, no. It’s too bright out here, light pollution and all. And regular pollution. Plus that classic Gotham gloom. There’s not very much room for stars between it all.” Kon nodded but he still looked somewhat distressed. Tim knew he didn’t spend a lot of time in Gotham so he supposed it made sense that his friend had never noticed this aspect of life in the town before. He imagined Smallville probably had loads of stars, and Tim had realized one night when he had extended his surveillance past his shift that even with the lights of Metropolis without the constant cloud cover of Gotham some stars were still visible on clear nights in the city. He hadn’t really thought much of it, but it seemed to really bother his friend.

  
“Do you want to go inside somewhere?” he asked, thinking that maybe if the empty sky was making Kon uncomfortable that simply removing the sky from the equation might do the trick. Kon shook his head.

  
“No, no, it’s” he started to say, but then paused. He looked at Tim, something like nervous hope glinting in his eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  
“Yes.” Tim answered, honestly, without thinking.

  
“Would you let me take you somewhere?” Tim nodded and then he was no longer on the ground. Kon was standing up on the roof and Tim was cradled in his arms. Tim blushed and Kon turned slightly pink as well. They had flown together countless times, and Kon had even held him like this as a joke while Tim crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance, but this was different. This was soft and gentle, and so natural. Tim nodded again and the two gently lifted into the air. Tim closed his eyes as Kon picked up speed and soon he felt them lower onto solid foundation. He opened his eyes and could just make out the Kent farm below them in the dark. Kon set him down and the two sat down on the roof of the barn. The air was cool and clear, and in the distance Tim could hear crickets.

  
“Wow,” he breathed as he looked around. Kon smiled as he watched the wonder in Tim’s face and his smile only widened when he looked at him with the same awe. He chuckled softly and whispered,

  
“Look up.”

  
Tim gasped as he saw the majesty of the sky above him. The infinite space was filled with deep colors and hues that slandered the poets for leaving them out, and the openness was freeing. But the most amazing part was the stars. Thousands, maybe millions, of stars shone in the night sky above the two boys and their silent beauty offered a peace that was unique only to them. Tim had seen stars before, even more than this, on trips for Wayne Enterprises or various Bat activities and even on family vacations to places like the Grand Canyon and the clear Australian plains. But this was something else entirely. This was quiet and steady. This was real.

  
Breathless, Tim felt Kon move closer. Their shoulders were now tentatively touching, and as Kon hesitantly put his arm around him, Tim rested his head on his best friend’s shoulder and breathed. They were okay. Nothing that was had changed; they were still best friends. They would always laugh with each other and keep each other safe. They would always be there and give each other a sense of stability and calm that no one else could. They would always love each other. Nothing of who they were to each other had changed, there were now just new layers. New facets of their relationship and how they cared for and about one another. This was not a new relationship but an extension of their existing one, and they could not be happier. As they sat on that roof of the Kent family barn, listening to the crickets and the breeze, under the sky in a world that just for the moment felt as though it was theirs alone to simply be in, the two were together, and they were at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> User @asami had the great suggestion that I write a sequel to Surveillance and so I thought I would do just that! This takes place on the same day as that story. I hope you guys enjoy it! Again I don't own DC comics or anything associated with it. Happy reading!


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